Miracle of Miracles
by Calico Yorki
Summary: An alternate take on Fate/Extra, and on events that could happen after the end. One last chance to make things right. It's been over a year, but I'm continuing this story now. I may try to rewrite the prologue and chapter one to be longer, and to showcase what skills I've developed since I started this fanfic last year. Let me know if I should, my patient fans!
1. Prologue

It was quiet, always quiet. No matter how many months and years should pass, it would always be too, too quiet. Her white face had lost its characteristic blush, and joy no longer cast a sparkle on those golden eyes. Her rose-colored hair had lost its sheen, and her ribbons were loosely tied, disregarded like the rest of her clothes. Her stockings had holes near the top; the edges of her sleeves were frayed, tattered, fading to gray. Where her golden-tan ears once perked up with life, in this dismal, silent void, they were still. Her fluffy tail was matted, never again to be primped and tended to, never again to wag with excitement, never again to be touched by her master.

After many hours - or was it thousands of years? - Tamamo had shed enough tears to flood the world. Had everything in that war been for naught? Had it all been an exercise in futility? At last, at long, long last, she had found someone she coud love, and cherish, and hold. She could rectify her mistakes! She could love them like she'd not gotten a chance to love _him!_ Yes, Hakuno had been female. Yes, it might be considered improper by some. Yes, she'd even felt uncharacteristically hesitant at first! But in the span of the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell, Tamamo had fallen deeply, madly, heartbreakingly in love with Hakuno. It was the kind of love which had buoyed her up whenever she'd felt moody, it was the kind of love which had flung her up on waves of excitement every time she saw her Master's face! Every new day had been exciting because her master had been in it. That was what she'd fought for: Tamamo had fought for an eternity with her master.

To have victory yanked out of her hands - no, to have _Hakuno_ taken from her, just when they had arrived at what they had thought to be their shining moment, was unbearable! Unthinkable! Unforgivable! Tamamo had cried and kicked and beat her fists, in this cold, dark place where no one could see her. She raged at the Moon Cell, Twice Pieceman, and everything in the world, and everything beyond it. When her anger burned itself to a lumpy husk somewhere between her heart and guts, all she had left was her hopeless sorrow. Tamamo had eventually begun to pray every once in a while. Her pleas went out to the Earth, and the Sun, and the Moon, and all other places in the cosmos, begging for someone, or something, to help her. Even if unheard, even if unknown, Tamamo had to pray. Only if she prayed to be reunited with Hakuno, could the kitsune ever feel like she was being a good Servant, a good comrade, a good _wife_ to that girl whom had made her life feel worthwhile again.

Time became confused to her, but this was of no concern to Tamamo. Few memories could be dredged up of her existence as Amaterasu, but she retained a sense of orientation even in a place where time had no bearing. Tamamo focused, and meditated, and coordinated every last iota of her body, mind, and soul to praying. She soon was praying every second of every minute, every hour, every day, for however many months and years were cascading by - or perhaps sluggishly dragging on. It became easy to do, after a while. Focusing on all that was Hakuno gave her a rock to cling to, a life preserver in this groping abyss of misery. Brown hair, brown eyes, an awkward way she walked, the polite way she talked. The feeling of her hands petting Tamamo's ears; the sound of her voice commending, consoling, confiding, praising, begging, and arguing with her Servant.

Soon, the devotion to Hakuno welled up within Tamamo. Life returned to her features, and her newfound purpose lifted Tamamo into her usual proud posture. One wish, one desire, one request was sent out to all of the lands of Earth, and every single thing in Heaven, and every other sphere that cared to listen: _Please,_ she prayed, _if it means to have a chance at my eternity with Hakuno, I would fight a whole-new Holy Grail War to win our happiness. I will defeat anyone and everyone, if it means that I can have that extra life with her. This is my one wish. I have never wanted anyone, or anything, near as much as this. Please…Let me fight with, and for Hakuno Kishinami, one more time, to win an eternity with her._ For an impossibly long time, it was silent. Tamamo could feel tears burning their way to life in her eyes.

Then, a sound. It was her name - it was _that voice!_ A light began to shine out, and to Tamamo, it appeared to be all of her hopes and dreams. She rushed out, and up, and into the light, to where she could embrace her.

Hakuno was, understandably, very confused. "Um," she gulped, "hello…Ta - _Caster_…Have we met before?"


	2. Chapter One: Meet and Greet

For Tamamo, getting to meet with Hakuno again was absolute bliss. Even if all but the information required for summoning her had been forgotten, at least a girl named Kishinami Hakuno still existed. She could build new memories with her, and tell her of all the old ones, when the time was right. For now, however, they had to prepare! It was a new Holy Grail War, and one waged in a world that Tamamo could not say she was familiar with.

All over the place where they called home, statues had fallen, and become throttled by the overpowering thrall of nature. There were buses stopped in the middle of the streets, lined up and, in some places, crashed into piles with other cars to act as barricades. If it was a little more corpse-y, Tamamo expected Chumbawumba music to start playing out of nowhere! It seemed as if a war had been waged in the suburbs; and according to Hakuno, that was exactly what had happened. "When the Harwey Family realized that their golden sons were not coming back," she explained over coffee in a bombed-out cafe, "they decided to wage a war of at least spite on the entire world! They killed anyone who was not one of their own, regardless of religion, or denomination, or creed. Just when the suffering of humanity seemed to be too much to bear, as if a potential nuking of every center of human occupation seemed to be the most merciful option…" Hakuno seemed uncertain of how to phrase the next part. She turned the paper cup around in circles in her hands, pondering over what to say.

When it came to Hakuno, Tamamo's more ancient, more dangerous side felt grim satisfaction at the description: "Some kind of great light shone in the sky, casting the whole world into light. People reported phenomena several kilometers high, made of energy and floating directly over every place the Harwey Family called home. They fired shots, and artillery shells, but everything disappeared into nothingness. Then, the attack began - and then it ended! In an instant, every worldly sign of the Harwey Family was lain to waste. Their armies were blown clear off of the face of the Earth. And that wasn't all, either!" Tamamo leaned in, her ears perked up. Just what else could there be? "It seemed as though magic had been returned to the world, as a priceless gift for self-defense against such a worldly disaster of human making ever happening again." This pleased Tamamo to the point that she pounced on Hakuno, full of energy. "Um, Caster," the girl babbled underneath the cuddles, "this is — this is extremely unprofessional for a Master-Servant relationship! Ah, ah — oops!" She fell underneath Tamamo, but the foxgirl swooped to catch her.

Well, she tried, at least. They wound up in a tangled mess on the floor of the abandoned coffee shop. First, Tamamo started to giggle. When she burst out laughing, Hakuno just couldn't help but join in. Their laughter lasted for a few good minutes, before a loud clearing of the throat could be heard in the doorway. Both girls jumped up, to see who was standing there.

To their surprise, it was a girl in a loose white blouse and jeans, standing beside a young man with a cut on his scruffy chin. The girl had a dusting of freckles all over her cheeks and nose, and her strawberry blonde hair was tied in a couple of braids which hung down her shoulders. "Word to the wise, girls," she snapped in an accent that neither Hakuno nor Tamamo could quite place, "ya shouldn't go around having your softcore porn rehearsals in buildings with no doors. Show some class." Both girls hopped to their feet, stunned by the authority this girl had just walking into the room. Her eyes were just on level with Tamamo's chin, but she had a presence which filled the room.

It was a sudden realization which made Tamamo protectively grab Hakuno's hand, and yank her back to more than double the usual distance. "I do hope you're not here to get an early elimination," she beamed with sickening faux-cheer. "I'll have to slap that confidence right out of you if you have such intentions." Both Tamamo and the mystery redhead were having such an intense stare-down that Hakuno dare not utter a word.

To everyone's surprise, the brusque girl found a paper cup of hot black coffee gently held out for her. She scowled even as she took the cup, and began to chug it eagerly. The scruffy looking young man was very tail, and had the most striking blue eyes. They looked almost silver, and sized up the Caster and her master with silent approval. At last, he spoke up. "My name is Trevor Sands," he introduced himself in a quiet, but confident voice. "I apologize for walking in on such an intimate moment. My friend here is not what you'd call big on subtlety." As he said this, Tamamo observed the petite woman topping off the old-fashioned glass coffee pot from the back. She then proceeded to knock the whole thing back, drinking the black coffee down with a hand on her hip. How charming.

"As a manner of due sportsmanship," the Master of the odd couple continued in stride, "I came here to alert you of the full scope of this competition. You are not the only Caster, my dear, and my Servant is not the only one of her class." Tamamo couldn't help but smirk at the nimble way he dodged outing his own class. "This is an unprecedented competition. The whole world will be our battlefield, for there is not enough magic found in just one country to provide all the needs of this new War. I thought it would be helpful for you to know." He was only mildly surprised to find three ofuda conjured to Tamamo's hand.

She gave a dangerous smile which caused Hakuno to go pale in such proximity. "If this competition will be so grand, it will most surely be more difficult than what I've faced before," she chuckled. "I could save a lot of trouble if I take you out now." With a sudden click, and a frightened gasp from Hakuno, all the blood in Tamamo's body ran cold as ice.

Her eyes shifted an inch to her right. The strawberry blonde was crouched nimbly atop a table, with some manner of rifle tilted up so the muzzle nudged the petrified Hakuno's jaw. "You kill my master, and I can put a bullet in this girl's head before I call it quits," she breathed. "Mutually assured destruction. So, you cut out your fancy charms and I put down my gun, and we'll agree to me smoking you when the competition really heats up. Deal?" Without a word, Tamamo opened her fingers. Her ofuda fell into cherry blossoms on the floor, before those too faded. "Smart." The woman went to remove her gun, but suddenly smirked.

Tamamo managed to pull Hakuno away, but knew that the mere loss of a few hairs was only because this devilish girl had allowed her Master to live. Admittedly, she looked ashamed when her Master fixed an outstanding look of grim disappointment on her, but she had lost none of her bravado when she laid her rifle across her shoulders. "Your ass is grass if I get to mow you down in a fight," she hissed. "I never miss twice." Thoroughly fed up with the show, her master grabbed her by the arm and yanked her way. The fussing and fuming which followed could be heard fading away, for several moments.

Still, and for several minutes, Tamamo held Hakuno's head protectively. It occurred to her, now, how dangerous the War could be. It was true…She'd forgotten the feeling of dread and peril in her time away.

Yet nothing, _nothing_ would sever her from her master. Not again. _Never_ again.


	3. Chapter Two: Seeking Answers

**Author's Note:** In this chapter, mention is made of Rani and Rin. Due to how the choices made by the player change who is allied with the player, and thus survives to the end of the game, I chose instead to have a new situation where both survive the events of the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell. Rather than endorsing one choice or the other as the canon for my fanfic, I thought it would be more interesting to engineer a "third option" for the purposes of this fanfic alone.

Plus both Rani and Rin are very fun, and I wouldn't be able to choose only one of them to write into this fanfic if I tried. Just think of this as an alternate reality with whole-new possibilities, and hopefully it won't impede your enjoyment. I hope it doesn't come across as too contrived, but inform me with a review if it does. Additionally, I played around with the formatting a bit to try and somewhat emulate how emphasis is placed on certain phrases in Fate/Extra and other Fate franchise media. Let me know if it's too distracting, and I'll edit to suit.

Enjoy!

— — —

After the deathly chill from their close call had finally abated, Tamamo walked with Hakuno to a nearby park. The silence was so serene, but also strangely unnerving. The babbling of the half-shattered fountain, the wind caressing the leaves on the trees, the chirping of birds and frogs and insects, it was all very soothing. Yet one could not help but be somewhat agitated by the lack of human sounds. All that remained of the human structures in and around the park were crumbled masonry, water gushing from shorn pipes, and the occasional bench. Most benches were overturned, scorched, or utterly splintered on the ground.

It was thus something of a godsend to finally arrive at a lonely park bench in the shade. Hakuno moved to sit down, but Tamamo rushed to stop her. "No, no, no," she huffed! "This will not do! It's absolutely covered in leaves and sticks! You need a place cleared off to sit!" Satisfied to find the bench devoid of animal droppings for the most part, Tamamo used her trailing sleeves to brush aside the heap of foliage discarded by trees overhead. This left Hakuno a place to sit, and she thanked her exuberant Servant as she did so, even if she found Tamamo's insistence on matters like this a little exhausting. As she rested on the wood of the park bench and smoothed her skirt out against her thighs, she was somewhat distressed to find Tamamo merely kneeling in the grass beside her. "Don't worry about me at all, Master," she waved away Hakuno's concerns with a flutter of her ears. "But if you could," Tamamo diverted the subject, "could you let me know a little bit more about how the world has changed?"

Hakuno nodded, tucking a stray lock of her reddish brown hair back. "Well, I don't know all that much myself, to be honest," Hakuno replied. "The world is very sparsely inhabited, by scattered remnants of the war. It seems that out of a population of over 7 billion people prior to the war's onset, the end of the war has only left about 2.5 billion people." Tamamo's face went a little pale, and her ears tucked down with dismay. "Oh, don't worry," Hakuno raised her hands as she tried to assuage her Servant's concern. "It's actually not all that bad, all things considered. The world's a lot quieter than it was before, but it's also a lot more peaceful. There's a lot less competition for resources, and in the lull between the war and now, the Earth has mostly rebounded from pollution and the like." She glanced to the side, biting her lip. Tamamo reached out and placed a hand on Hakuno's knee, gently squeezing for a moment as if to say, 'You can tell me when you're ready to do it.'

Taking a quiet breath, Hakuno confided what was bothering her in Tamamo. "It's very difficult to reckon with," she picked her words carefully, "but it's difficult to think that all the people who are alive now were safely stowed in pods, like me. Rani and Rin came and found me, and told me that I was either really lucky, or very unfortunate." She twiddled her thumbs, trying to sort out her feelings as she shared them with Tamamo. "Most people who were placed in pods like me," Hakuno continued with a few stops and starts, "most of them didn't survive. The war destroyed most of the facilities which housed them, and those who survived the bombs and…The rest, mostly died when power was cut off from their life support systems." Tamamo had a feeling that there must have been far more terrible things than bombs wrought by magecraft by the end of the war, but allowed Hakuno to elaborate further at her own pace. "So out of over10,000 people safeguarded in pods like mine, in facilities around Japan," Hakuno gulped like she was going to be sick. "Out of 11,720 pods…Only 138 protected their inhabitants. And, and the numbers all over the world a-are about the same." Despite her best efforts, a single tear rolled down Hakuno's cheek. "Or worse."

Tamamo sprang up, wrapping her arms around Hakuno. "Oh, Master," she murmured softly, hugging Hakuno tightly and kissing her hair. "Oh, Hakuno, I'm sorry." That was how the tears really began to flow. Hakuno returned the embrace, shaking softly as she cried into Tamamo's blue raiments. She had thought she'd be stronger this. She had thought that after she had months to prepare herself and make peace with the cold hard facts, that it would be easy to cope with it. But confiding in Tamamo about it, she just couldn't take it. She didn't even know why she was so upset about it. Rin had called it overly-sentimental, and Rani had called it a quirk of human emotionality. But when she had to think about it, about over 10,000 people going to sleep thinking they'd awaken when the war was over, and only under 200 of them surviving to wake up again…It made her just so sad, and so frustrated. It made her heart pang, and it made her stomach turn. Even if she didn't know a single one of those people who died, it just seemed so, so unfair that they all died in an artificial sleep while Hakuno still lived. Architects, doctors, teachers, philanthropists, prominent leaders of the government had died, but a single high school girl lived. Something about it seemed like a sick, cruel joke.

Once Hakuno had gotten to cry her eyes out a bit more, Tamamo pulled back from her. "I know it's a tad difficult right now, but please try to stop crying, Master," she whispered softly. Wrapping one of her hands in its sleeve, she carefully dried the tears which had left Hakuno's face damp. "I know that you're distressed and feel a little bit guilty," Tamamo offered quietly, "but please, try to look on the bright side. It's a miracle that you survived, and that we managed to meet like this. I know it's hard to think about all those people dying, but focus on the fact that you survived. I sure am thankful you survived, and I hope you are, too!" Satisfied that Hakuno's flushed red cheeks were good and dry, Tamamo bounded back to smile at her. "So dry those tears so you can see the way ahead, my darling Master," the fox girl beamed! "A pretty face like yours looks better with a smile, anyways!" That made Hakuno smile, sniffle, and offer her thanks. She really was lucky to have a Servant like Tamamo by her side.

After the two of them soothed themselves listening to the birdsong, Tamamo kneeled on the ground by Hakuno again. "Let's just cut to the chase," Tamamo glibly cut off Hakuno's insistence that she sit on the bench. "We've already met one of the Servants and her master. And as tasteless as that girl was, she seems very, very dangerous." Tamamo hugged Hakuno's legs tightly, smiling up at her. "I propose we compile all the information we've observed about her, and her master, to try and get to the bottom of her identity!" That idea made Hakuno smile, and she began to fish around in her beige book bag. Tamamo had actually not noticed the plain satchel before that point, even though it was slung on Hakuno's shoulder. To be honest, she'd been more enamored with seeing Hakuno's face and hearing her voice again! And not for nothing, it really completed the endearing image of a diligent student that Hakuno had about her.

From her book bag, Hakuno withdrew a notebook, a pencil, and a pencil sharpener shaped like a cutesy bear face. "I really like that idea, Tamamo," Hakuno praised her Servant, turning the sharpener around and around to get her pencil to a fine point. "You're just as intelligent as the legends say. Thank you." Tamamo felt like she was absolutely going to melt, blushing and writhing with glee, and she barely managed to squeeze out a cute 'Kon!' yelp of gratitude. "Now, let's see," Hakuno mumbled, tapping her eraser against her lip. "She was short, had reddish hair…She wore some very rustic clothes, didn't she?" Tamamo nodded, sniffing derisively at the mere memory of how the young woman dressed. "Right, and she used a rifle of some kind…If it's a ranged weapon, she's probably an Archer, right?" Tamamo nodded furiously, absolutely ecstatic to see Hakuno already acclimating to this unprecedented Holy Grail War. "Right," Hakuno hummed in thought, jotting down some notes.

"Somehow, the internet has managed to survive the calamities of the war," Hakuno explained as much for her own benefit as Tamamo's. "We'll have to search for an access point, since a lot of more mundane computers have gotten trashed. Then again, Rani _did_ say she's been tinkering with something like that…" At that mention of Rani, Hakuno suddenly seemed to realize something. "Oh, right," she lightly rapped her brow in a gesture of embarrassment. "How could I just talk about Rin and Rani without introducing them to you? Come on, I'll show you where we've been staying!" Tamamo smiled giddily, rising up as her excited Master fumbled to stow her notebook and pencil. She hadn't made any mention of the events that had taken place in the Moon Cell just yet, but it would be very heartening to speak with Rani and Rin again.

The tumult that surrounded Hakuno and Tamamo befriending Rani and Rin had been quite remarkable. A crisis arose in the battle between Rani and Rin, forcing Tamamo's hand to interfere on Hakuno's behalf. Things spiraled out of control very quickly, ultimately ending in the mutual destruction of the two girls' Servants. They managed to survive the fateful encounter, although it caused some rather peculiar changes in how some of the battles were paired up. Thankfully though, Tamamo and Hakuno still made it to their final fight with Twice Pieceman and his Savior-class Servant just fine. Not to mention that, going off the way Hakuno talked about them, Tamamo owed them many thanks for finding and helping her beloved Master.

As they left the park and made their way back into town, Tamamo thought back on that final bout in the Moon Cell. It still somewhat chafed Tamamo, thinking about that dejected physician and his infuriatingly benevolent Servant. Savior had been so at peace with himself and all the cosmos, so ready to forgive any transgression, but so pure and uncompromising in his dedication to Pieceman. His inner peace had radiated out of him, glowing vividly with neither flaws nor contradictions. People like that Savior always gave Tamamo the chills. People who could give anything and everything for all others totally unconditionally, without one person being more important than the rest or one person unworthy of their love…That just seemed kind of perverted, to her.

Quite abruptly and without any proper warning, a tremendous crashing noise broke Tamamo out of her deep contemplations. Repeated sounds of weapons clashing made her ears prick up and listen, and every impact caused a shockwave to rustle her hair from their unknown source. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Hakuno, dragging her back as she hopped away from the sounds of battle and breakage. "We need to be covert, this time," Tamamo told Hakuno, hiding behind a tree with her. "I'll keep myself out of sight and out of mind until I'm needed, so that I don't give away anything of my identity this time. I'll be able to respond if you need me, though!" With that, the magical fox girl withdrew into the ether, leaving only a vaguely comforting presence withal. This left Hakuno to steel her nerves, and attempt to move closer so she could investigate the calamitous din.

The source of the terrific noise seemed to be a raucous skirmish up around the corner. Hugging the storefronts as she crept forward, Hakuno flinched a little bit with each impact. Bright flashes came with the terrific noises and sudden bursts of wind, the latter of which sent small chunks of pavement hurtling past the obfuscating corner up ahead. That would be her last obstacle before she could observe the conflict, and she was less than twenty steps away. _I can do this._ Fifteen steps. _I'm Tamamo's Master now, and I can do this._ Ten steps. _If I run away now, I'll never be able to advance beyond who I am now._ Ten steps. _My future starts here._ Seven steps. _It's just a corner away._ Four steps. _I'm ready._ Hakuno ran the last three steps, sucking in a fortifying breath as she slid up against the wall. Her knees were shaking so violently, but Hakuno forced her body around the corner far enough to see what was going on.

It was a truly calamitous fight. The two figures were impossible to follow when they were charging each other, causing shockwaves to visibly distort the air as they clashed. On the ground, up the sides of buildings, in mid-air — it was a frenetic fight that only slowed down for a brief, terrifying pause. One of them was a shockingly plain-looking Japanese man with a scruffy beard, his long black hair done up in a ponytail. He was dressed in ruddy earth tone robes that looked very feudal, and despite carrying two sheathed blades tucked into his sash, his current weapon was an oar of all things! As for his opponent, she was a beastly woman with tanned skin and fiery golden hair, her limbs and a portion of her chest covered by rusty red fur. A skimpy top of bright red and white cloth was fixed to her chest by two spiraled golden discs, and a golden-furred tail wound for over a meter out of her baggy red pants. Her weapon of choice seemed to be a red staff capped in gold at either end, and on her forehead was a simple leather band adorned by an engraved gold plate. The letters were too worn and too distant to read at all, but Hakuno felt like they were somehow distantly familiar.

Neither of them acted like they noticed her, but they might have just been preoccupied with their own conflict. They paced side-to-side in curving paths, approaching and retreating in turn as they appraised one another. It was a very diplomatic lull in the fight, carefully inspecting each other's stances, neither one moving to take the first hit. The scruffy man with the oar suddenly made a move, leaning on his weapon and smiling slyly. He raised his hand and bent one finger over his face, tapping his cheek as if offering a free shot. His opponent's nostrils flared, and she eagerly sprung in to the fray once again. She went to sweep her coy opponent's legs with her staff, but he suddenly flipped his oar upright. A pile of shattered pavement was launched into the air, bouncing off of the bestial woman's face and slowing her approach somewhat. She immediately brought her staff up across her torso, narrowly dodging a roundhouse blow from the oar.

"Cut me some slack here," the weathered man whined. "I was just out seeing what this town's like, and was already down from how empty it is. Then you show up and start swinging your walking stick at me, and start this whole sham of a fight prematurely." He shifted his oar slightly, taking a roundabout step away to avoid a kick at his shins. "C'mon, sweetheart," he rasped tiredly, swinging the oar side-to-side to block the next flurry of blows. "I'm worn-out. Give an old man who's just woke up after a while a break, will ya?" With a shove to get some distance, he sprang through the air and got ready to block another hit.

The bestial woman did not reply with words, but instead gave a guttural snarl. Baring her jagged fangs, she charged towards her ambivalent opponent, darting side-to-side along the way. Her movements were so intense, a car was sent flipping end-over-end as she merely passed it by. Her staff was brought back, ready to brain her opponent. He had his unusual weapon at the ready, although he seemed unusually calm, glancing over her shoulder with a coy smirk. This made his opponent all the more incensed, flipping high into the air with a screech! She began to spin her way down, ready to cave in her target's skull!

A sudden shout stopped her attack, twisting her body in the air so she landed crouched on all fours. "Berserker," a female voice blared out, "what in the _hell_ are you doing?" The bestial woman bounded away from her bemused opponent, darting past Hakuno with such force that it whipped her hair around her head. Tugging her own auburn locks aside, Tamao turned to see who this ferocious woman's Master was.

She had to be about Hakuno's age, probably a little older. She was a sturdy looking young woman with amber brown eyes and wavy honey-colored hair underneath a brown beret, and had a beauty mark under her right eye. She wore a brown top with brass buttons and a matching knee-length skirt, yellow gloves on her hands, ochre leggings and knee-high brown boots, and had a very expensive-looking handbag fitted with brass slung across her chest. Hands placed on her robust hips, her nostrils flared in what would be a very cute expression, were her anger not enough to cow her ferocious Servant. "Never run off like that again," the woman lightly flicked the Berserker with her finger. "You had me worried sick!"

Once her Servant had been mollified with a bag of beef jerky from her handbag, the stylish young woman turned to look at Hakuno. "I'm terribly sorry about my Servant's gross behavior," she apologized loudly, making the beast of a woman roll her eyes. "I'd like to apologize to the other one, but he seems to have already made himself scarce." Hakuno hadn't even noticed the man make his exit, and not just because of his speed. This new Master before her was stunning, carrying herself with all the dignity of a princess, but with a palpable confidence that arrested Hakuno's ability to speak. Her unplaceable accent had Hakuno fixated, as did the way she idly twirled a pinky around her single small ringlet on the right of her brow. "My name is Svetlana Tanya," she introduced herself with a flourish and a curtsy. Hakuno returned the favor, captivated for reasons she could not adequately explained.

After she manage to choke out her name, Hakuno stared in awe at Svetlana's presence. She seemed to glow with an inner radiance, soothing and mesmerizing Hakuno as she thoughtfully tapped a gloved finger on her cheek. "You seem to be one of the more unprepared competitors," Svetlana addressed Hakuno's shaken state. "I have to say, though, it took a lot of moxie to stand tall and observe a fight like that. It's something else, right?" Hakuno nodded, sighing heavily as she recalled the earth-shaking, air-splitting clashes between Svetlana's Servant and her unknown opponent. It both terrified and somehow excited her to think that this was what lie ahead!

"Well, I wish you luck," Svetlana smiled. "It's going to be one Hail Mary of a war, so we're all going to need it. Just don't think my Servant or I will pull any punches if we get a chance to fight one another." The female Berserker spun to her feet, her staff tucked in the crook of her elbow as she crumpled up the empty bag she'd been eating from. Satisfied to see her Servant pitch the trash across the street and into a trash can, Svetlana gave one last curtsy to see Hakuno off. Hakuno returned the gesture, then released a breath she was sure she hadn't been holding.

With Svetlana and her Berserker long gone, Hakuno rushed around the corner and into an abandoned furniture store. Without Svetlana around, Hakuno suddenly felt very dizzy and worried. As Tamamo faded back into view, she huffed with disapproval. "How dare that bold hussy try to put a charm on my Master," Tamamo fumed! Seeing Hakuno's worried and somewhat embarrassed expression, Tamamo rushed to reassure her. "Don't worry, Master, I know you wouldn't cheat on me! You're better than that." Hakuno blushed, always taken aback by how overwhelming Tamamo's high opinion of her was.

"That woman was using a very deceptive kind of ability called **Mystic Face**," Tamamo explained. "It's a charming effect that captivates you when you look at the user's face." Tamamo grumbled and fussed as she contemplated Svetlana's interactions with Hakuno. "Although, it should _technically _only work on members of the opposite sex. She must be using some very tricky exploits, to pull that off." It made Tamamo very jealous that someone had used a skill like that on Hakuno, but she just had to get over it.

Dusting off a wooden stool with her sleeve, Tamamo pulled it up to the table so Hakuno could sit down. Yet again ignoring Hakuno's quiet insistence, Tamamo tucked her pseudo-skirt under her knees as she kneeled on the floor. "So, we know a little more about two Servants taking part in this War," Tamamo chimed. "Why don't we discuss what we can figure out about them?" Hakuno nodded, sighing at Tamamo's resistance to sitting on the same level as her. Taking out her notebook and setting it on the table, Hakuno turned to a fresh page and sharpened her pencil. The way her brow furrowed in studious determination was so adorable, it made it hard for Tamamo to not keen loudly and distract her.

"First of all," Hakuno dove into her notes, "the male Servant. He used an oar, but he definitely had a pair of swords on him, so he's probably a Saber." She paused a moment. "Or, well, Sabers are usually knights, and he looked more like a ronin…I'll put it down with a little foot note. 'Maybe?' Alright, good!" Her enthusiasm made Tamamo's heart light up, so she just sat back to let Hakuno go ahead and keep writing. "I feel like I'm familiar with who he is, like I've learned about him in a history class," Hakuno mulled over the thoughts. Whether or not this Hakuno had ever been in an actual classroom was up for debate, but Tamamo wouldn't bring something like that up now, of all times.

After she'd written some more, Hakuno turned to Tamamo for her input. "Embarrassed as I am to admit it," Tamamo sighed, "I really don't know who he is. I agree that he is almost definitely a ronin, but based on how he dressed and spoke, I feel he must have been a bit after my time. If you'll indulge me, though, I'll help you research his identity!" It really was very embarrassing for Tamamo-no-Mae, considered one of the most legendary misunderstood monsters of Japanese legend, to not know the identity of what was almost certainly a Legendary Spirit of Japanese origin. She'd definitely have to get caught up on the history of her native land, if this was to be the case!

Hakuno mercifully decided to not question Tamamo's frantic mutterings. "Okay," Hakuno finished her notes on the supposed Saber. She then turned to the next page, so she could take notes on the Berserker. "She's definitely strong," Hakuno shakily recalled the sheer force of the beastly woman's final charge. "Very strong. Insanely strong. And she had fur, and a tail…I think she had kanji on her headband, actually? I didn't get a good look, but I felt like they were at least close to kanji." She noted the woman's staff, too, then turned to Tamamo to see if she had any input.

"If they're a Chinese figure, I'm afraid I don't know too much," Tamamo admitted sullenly. "I see some similarities to Hanuman, a legendary figure of Indian folklore, but her choices of dress — barbaric as they may be — definitely seem to be Chinese. We definitely know she's a Berserker, although I'm surprised by what self-control she has. There has to be some kind of trick to how she's not just a rampaging beast, but I can't figure out what it is." Pouting quite childishly, Tamamo's tail agitatedly whipped back and forth.

In-between attempts to soothe Tamamo's embarrassment and frustration, Hakuno got her notes finished. "We should go to see Rani and Rin, now," Hakuno offered, tucking her notebook and pencils away. Tamamo nodded, rising up and dusting off her robes to follow Hakuno out of the abandoned store.

As they walked down the street to hopefully make it to their destination uninterrupted, though, something incessantly bothered Tamamo. It stuck in the back of her mind, and made her feel uneasy to contemplate.

_If so few humans had survived their pods, like Hakuno said,_ Tamamo wondered, _then where did the rest of those 2.5 billion people come from?_


	4. Chapter Three: Home Base

Tamamo had intended to inspect Hakuno's current living conditions to ensure they met her standards. First impressions were not very good, to say the least.

The building was as dilapidated as all the rest. In fact, if Tamamo's eyes did not deceive her, it was in an even sorrier state than most of the rest! Weatherbeaten and overgrown with vines, it at least had some vestige of once grandiose architecture.

"Well, at least at some point in the past, this building was very evidently a beautiful sight," Tamamo mumbled so Hakuno couldn't hear her. "Perhaps it suits her? My love reborn, in the shell, the shadow of what was at one time a marvel of modern architecture? Yes, perhaps that would do, after all!" She failed to notice how her muttering concerned Hakuno, who had stopped in mid-knock to look back.

Shrugging, Hakuno turned back to knock at the door. The sound reverberated with a dull sound off of the damp walnut wood, engorged as it was by rainwater and humid air. It was a thick, quiet sound that seemed to hang in the air for a moment, reverberating ominously in Caster's golden-furred ears. She wasn't sure she trusted the timbre of that door; it sounded quite a lot like a barrier had been placed on it. Even if it was just Rani and Rin who had placed it, two people who surely would not put Hakuno in harm's way with a clumsily arranged barrier, it bothered Caster that she had been too distracted to pick up on it before Hakuno knocked.

Moments after Hakuno knocked, the doorknob turned. Rani was the one who opened the door, peering out with her usual subdued stare. "I am very glad to see that you were successful, Hakuno," the stargazer monotonously greeted the pair. "And it is good to see you again, demon fox." Tamamo chose to let that pass without comment, simply following Hakuno inside with her usual grace.

Once inside, Tamamo began to meticulously inspect the building's decor. Although she was not a fan of gaping holes between stories and hastily-arranged tarps to collect rainwater, the tile work on the floor was aesthetically pleasing, and the addition of several potted flowers gave the interior a more natural, lively feeling. All things considered, Tamamo decided she and her beloved Master could endure these accommodations.

A familiarly huffy voice spoke up, then. "If you're quite finished sniffing out our base of operations," Rin approached Tamamo with hands on her hips, "we need to get you both completely up to speed. We have new information concerning the Revived Holy Grail War." With her hands on her hips and her lips twisted into a scowl, the Tohsaka prodigy looked as incensed as ever. Although Tamamo liked Rin's fashionability, with her tight red sweaters and thigh-high stockings, her bad attitude always seemed to diminish her good looks in Caster's eye. Oh well. Some people were into being badmouthed by a girl with a twin-tails hairstyle.

"Oh, I do apologize," Tamamo stood up straight. "I was simply making sure my Master's living arrangements met my standards. They don't, but I suppose it can't be helped. Lead the way, Deadpan and Ingénue." Even Rani was beginning to become visibly annoyed by Tamamo's gadfly tendencies. Though they seemed intent on helping Hakuno now, Tamamo couldn't forget how they had once been enemies in the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell.

Clinging to Hakuno's arm as the two girls led them downstairs, Tamamo looked over at her Master. "I apologize if I'm being a bit too catty," she whispered with genuine intentions. "Would it be better if I tried to contain myself, Goshujin-sama?" It felt good to use the old honorifics Tamamo was used to, although she was somewhat worried it might make Hakuno more uncomfortable than just calling her Master.

"If it would be okay," Hakuno whispered back. "I understand if you're a little on edge around strangers, but you don't need to be scared of Rani and Rin. They're the ones who found me." Oh, right. Hakuno didn't remember anything about what happened on the Moon. She had no idea how close the three of them had come to killing one another on more than one occasion.

"As you wish, Goshujin-sama," Tamamo replied with a smile. "I will be on my best behavior." Hakuno smiled back with visible relief, her shoulders dropping a little bit and a quiet sigh escaping her. It made Tamamo's heart flutter to see Hakuno smile, and it made her tail wag side-to-side a little bit with delight, too! She clutched Hakuno's arm a little tighter as the descent down the spiral staircase finally ended.

They were in what resembled a war room, with a vaulted ceiling supported by arching iron girders and a dusty mahogany table. There was also a large screen dominating one wall, although Tamamo was vastly more interested by the little touches that made it feel just a tad bit cozy. The chairs all had red velvet cushions in their seats, and there was a teapot on a stove in the corner. Although these decorations were meager, Tamamo approved of any touch that made this place feel more like a home Hakuno and herself could bear to live in.

"Let's get down to brass tacks," Rin declared, marching over to the screen. She pressed a button on the side, and it flickered to life with a quiet whirr. The screen displayed a wire grid model of the globe, slowly rotating to show the different land masses. There seemed to be a gaping hole in the middle of Russia, and Central America was reduced to an archipelago between North and South America. Around this display were various info boxes with names and pictures, and among them, Tamamo recognized the Masters whom she and Hakuno had already encountered.

"There are thirty-two Master and Servant pairs in all," Rani explained in her soft monotone. "Less than the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell, but each Master is also far more formidable than most who you've encountered before. Twenty-eight of the Servants who have been summoned fit into the seven standard classes, while four of them have been summoned into non-standard classes. Those four act as mediators and rule enforcers who are not eligible to win the Grail."

"What's more, rifts have begun to open all over the world," Rin explained. She hit another button on the side of the screen, causing a small window to open up, with a line connecting it to Japan. The window showed video feed of a swirling vortex of blue, purple, and deep dark green, floating above an old shrine. "These rifts connect different locations where the Holy Grail War is being held," the Tohsaka heiress explained. "In order to qualify for each round, Masters and Servants must make it to the nearest rift and access the designated battleground. Luckily for us, the first battleground was in Japan. Specifically Fuyuki City, which is where this battle would be held under normal circumstances."

"When the time to reach the battleground has expired, those who do not make it in time will automatically have their Servant expelled from the Holy Grail War," Rani picked up where Rin left off. "Each Master will then be informed of their first opponent by an entity generated by the Grail itself, which seems to have been reformed at an unknown location." She adjusted her glasses. "Only one battle will be conducted at a time, so it would behoove you to scout the competition for potential opponents while a fight is going on."

"Thank you Rin, Rani," Hakuno bowed to them. She then turned to Tamamo and gave her a smile that made her heart melt. "That's the long and short of it, Caster. Do you have any questions?" The way she asked was so considerate, so warm and inviting, it made Tamamo want to leap straight into Hakuno's arms and snuggle her to the floor!

Unfortunately Rin and Rani were looking right at them, and Tamamo knew Hakuno wasn't a fan of public displays of affection like that. "I understand completely," she nodded. Trying to mind her manners as Hakuno had requested, Tamamo then bowed to the other two girls. "You have my gratitude for explaining succinctly and simply," she thanked them. Rin gave a wry little smile, while Rani just tipped her head. That would have to do.

For the rest of the evening, the girls shared notes on what they knew of the Servants that Tamamo and Hakuno had met so far. They didn't have much to go on, but they were able to draw some educated guesses.

As for Tamamo, she sat politely on top of a table, resting on her knees as she gazed out of the window.

The future was uncertain, but so long as she had Hakuno, she could handle anything!


End file.
